How to Make the Spider Silk Necklace with SilverSilk Hollow Mesh
“It’s showtime!” -Beetlejuice
Spin a web of strange and unusual elegance with bold and startling color using SilverSilk Hollow Mesh. After finishing this tutorial, you’ll be the ghost with the most knowledge about SilverSilk Hollow Mesh design, Babe. So, let's turn on the juice and see what shakes loose!
SilverSilk Hollow Mesh is a revolutionary knitted wire jewelry chain that is best known for its versatility. It’s made by knitting wire as thin as an undead human hair into an open tubular wire mesh that can be filled with leather cord, chain, craft wire, seed beads, or virtually any up to 5mm found in your beading stash. And… if you act now, you get a free demon possession with every Hollow Mesh purchase!
Gather your materials and let’s slice into the world of spooky stylish jewelry making!
Tools:
Cutters (Lindström Tools): Flush cutters are used to cut Hollow Mesh and beading wire.
Chain Nose Pliers: These pliers will be needed to weed the chain ends and work jump rings.
Crimping Pliers: These will be needed to form your crimps.
Bead Stopper: You’ll need to set aside part of your design for a moment while you finish steps.
Beading Needle: Use size #10, #11, or #12: beading needles for stitching your pennant flags.
Materials:
16in • SilverSilk Hollow Mesh, Lotus
2 • SilverSilk 6mm Hollow Mesh Cord Ends, Dark Rhodium
1 • SilverSilk Lobster Claw Clasp, Dark Rhodium
4 • SilverSilk 6mm Jump Rings, Dark Rhodium
36in • Medium Soft Flex Beading Wire, Black
2 • 2x2mm Soft Flex Crimps, Black Oxidixed
15.5in • Fire Polish Bead Strand, Black
1 gram • Delica Beads, Black
1 gram • Delica Beads, White
2 grams • 11/0 Round Seed Beads, Black
2 grams • 11/0 Round Seed Beads, White
5 feet • Beading Thread, such as Wildfire or Fireline
Spider Silk Necklace Video Tutorial
Spider Silk Necklace, Written Step-By-Step Guide
Step 1: Planning and Preparing your Design with SilverSilk Hollow Mesh
On medium beading wire, working from the spool, string 4mm fire polish beads to desired length. Measure SilverSilk Hollow Mesh to a length that covers your beads. Using flush cutters, cut the Hollow Mesh in a circular motion to preserve the round shape. You wouldn’t want to leave it feeling a little flat.
Step 2: Feeding your Design Through SilverSilk Hollow Mesh
String a crimp onto the end of your beading wire. Fold it over and feed the end back through the crimp. Use the loop formed to feed your beading wire and beads through the Hollow Mesh.
Step 3: Finishing the Ends of SilverSilk Hollow Mesh
Remove the crimp tube from the beading wire. Press down the edges of the round Hollow Mesh ends to snuggle the 4mm beads on each end of your design. Use a bead stopper on the open end of your design. You can leave the other side on the spool, or, if you cut it free, make sure to leave about 4 inches of excess beading wire on each side. This will help you with the finishing steps. Make sure to place a bead stopper on that side as well if you do cut. If I’d used my bead stopper, I wouldn’t have had my little accident.
Set this part of your necklace aside for now.
Step 4: Beginning Decorative Pennant Flags
Cut 20 inches of beading thread. Working with black and white Delica beads, work a row of single column peyote. Start by stringing one black Delica and two white Delicas. Stitch back through the black Delica and tighten. A peyote start will form. Pick up one black Delica. Go through the white Delica. Pick up a white Delica and go through the last, black Delica. Repeat this until you have eight white Delicas in the top row.
Step 5: Working Rows for the Pennants
Brick stitch decreasing rows to bring to a point, alternating colors every row. When you add the first Delica for each row, let the thread show on the side to maintain sharp alignment. When you add the last Delica, stitch back into the row above it so it sits upright at the bottom of the pennant. Weave up to exit from the edge most, top Delica in the top row.
Step 6: Finishing the Pennants
String one black Delica. Go down through the next Delica in Row 1. Turn and come up through the next Delica in Row 1. String another black Delica and go down through the next white Delica in Row 1. Repeat to finish adding four, black Delicas in a sideway alignment along the top of Row 1. Weave in and trim remaining beading thread.
Repeat steps 4, 5, and 6 to create four more pennants.
Step 7: Stringing the Pennant Necklace
Working from the spool or using a new strand of beading wire that is eight inches longer than your desired length, with a bead stopper on the end, string a green, 4mm Fire Polish bead. String one black Delica, then feed your beading wire through each of the sideways black Delicas in your pennant.
String a black Delica, a 4mm green Fire Polish bead, and another black Delica. Then string the next pennant. Repeat this for a total of five pennants. End with a green Fire Polish bead.
Step 8: Finishing the Pennant Necklace
On each side of the pennant necklace, string alternating black and white, 11/0 round seed beads. String each side until they are the length of the Hollow Mesh necklace we set aside in Step 3. Next, bring both beading wires through a 6mm Hollow Mesh Cord End. You’ll be able to fit the first 4mm bead of the Hollow Mesh Necklace into the cap. The beading wire for the pennant necklace will run along the outside of the Hollow Mesh Necklace, under the cap. The seed beads should meet the bottom of the cap. Do this on both sides.
Step 9: Finishing the Cord Ends
String a 2x2mm crimp tube onto both beading wires above the 6mm Hollow Mesh Cord End. Bring one of those beading wires back through the crimp tube and into the cord end. Gently pull the beading wire until you’ve made a loop that is about 2mm in diameter, which will allow your clasp to move around freely. Make sure the seed beads on the pennant necklace run alongside the Hollow Mesh necklace and still snuggle right up under the cap; they won’t fit inside the cap, but should begin right under it.
Step 10: Finishing Your Design with SilverSilk Findings
Form the crimp and trim the ends of your beading wire. You’ll need to trim the beading wire as it exits from the bottom of the 6mm Hollow Mesh Cord End as well as the end of beading wire we left exiting from the crimp tube. Repeat this to finish the second side of the necklace.
Open the 6mm jump rings and attach a lobster claw clasp on one side. Make a chain of three 6mm jump rings to attach the other side.
Conclusion:
We hope this design has inspired you to create a darkroom full of jewelry for your night out on Halloween and beyond! What’s the good of being a ghost, if you can’t scare the living? Don't forget to make our millennium by checking out the full video tutorial on YouTube and giving it a thumbs up and channel subscription. More exciting tutorials are added all the time.
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